US medical institutions such as the FBI warn of ransomware threats

On October 28th, a medical system in Oregon, USA was attacked by ransomware. The FBI and the US Department of Homeland Security’s DHS are calling for strict vigilance against medical institutions, saying that a new ransomware attack by cybercriminals is expected.

On the 28th, Skylake Medical Center in Oregon announced through Facebook that the medical system was damaged due to ransomware damage. According to the hospital, no leakage of patient information has been confirmed, and medical examinations, emergency patient imports, and pharmacy operations are continuing, but communication is still congested due to the attack.

The hospital’s doctor, who requested anonymity, said about the attack situation that after the attack, the facility used paper instead of the system, and that the nearest facility was too far to transfer the patient. He also explained that he can still look at the patient’s condition and do things like image processing of medical devices, but all these results are processed with paper.

According to cybersecurity company FireEye, the attack was made by UNC1878, a cybercriminal organization based in Eastern Europe. According to another cybersecurity consultant, the attack was done through two types of malware (Ryuk and Trickbot). According to media reports, several federal authorities, including the FBI and DHS, warned medical institutions and cyber researchers on the 28th that the threat of cybercrime against hospitals and healthcare providers in the United States is increasing. According to a blog specializing in cybersecurity, there is also information that attacks on hundreds of medical institutions are further being prepared.

Against the background of the increasing risk of ransomware attacks, authorities such as the FBI held meetings with medical institutions, among them, confirmed that the backup system was normal, and called for caution to refrain from using personal e-mail addresses and separate the system from the Internet if possible. . Related information can be found here .